Flow of Life
by Sketch
Summary: AU Shinra finds a 'relic' from the Ancients, but things go wrong when an attack from AVALANCHE helps it get away. Sephiroth is sent to recapture their stolen prize, but the Fates seem to enjoy toying with our dear general. DISCONTINUED
1. It'll all be over soon

_*AN- Just a few words before we get started. One, this is an AU fic- meaning, I've taken the characters and situations, throwing almost everything to the wind to create my new, alternate world. However, there are similarities; I'm trying to keep people in character, refer to some of the events that happened, and I've used a couple of things from the game to form ideas. _

_That being said, do NOT expect this to be related to the game other than setting and characters! I have taken liberties to change the plot, and so I want you to read this as though it's a story in which the characters from FF7 have all decided to partake. I hope you enjoy this 'alternate view' of FF7, as it was originally intended to be a Mary Sue, but ended up as an Ax?? instead. _

_Yes, that's the third bit of info I've got to say. This is an Aerith love story, so if you don't like her, don't read. The pairing will be a surprise for everyone, as will the ending. So please, no flames for that._

_Fourthly , I have no idea how long this story will be. I'm thinking ten chapters tops, but I have a tendency to get really into a story and go on forever... So, we'll count on ten, though there might be more or less. That being said, also know that I've counted about 16 other stories I'm currently working on. This story will not be abandoned, but chapters might take a while to get out. . Emailing me to prod me to write more of this one works, however, because I love hearing from people, and the more I hear from people, the quicker the chapter usually comes out. _

_Fifthly and finally, know that I have never completed the game. I didn't get to the temple of the ancients, I wouldn't have seen Aerith's death if not for a friend making me watch as he played. I've read fanfics, yes, but they don't tell me everything, which can cause errors on my part. So, if there are inconsistencies that are so horribly character-reducing or place-deteriorating that you cannot stand to read anymore of the fic, please email me and tell me what I should do to amend the error!!_

_This being said and done, please enjoy the story, and don't forget to tell me what you think!! ~ __SirLadySketch@hotmail.com__ ~_ 11-03*

  
  
  


'Like the perfect ending

it won't be too long

til everything I've ruined

has seen me gone

In time, I pray you'll forgive me

Now you know the man I am

Can you forgive me?'

~ "No Reply", Cowboy Bebop 'Future Blues'

  
  
  


The Flow of Life

  


It seemed fitting that where everything had started, so would it end.

  


Here, in the depths of the planet, where the lifestream's pulse resounded in the cavern like a primaeval heartbeat, and the essences of all living things waiting to be reborn lit the walls with their soft glow; here would be her tomb. And he would join her in her eternal sleep, allowing his being fade into hers. Together, their essences would mingle until it was no longer him and her, but them, a part of the ever-flowing stream of life, never to be separated again.

He laid her down gently, a part of him still wondering if he had been mistaken, and she was only asleep. As he gazed on her silent form, he could almost see the rise and fall of her chest, hear the soft murmurs of her breath, feel her heat warming him. Her mouth was slightly open, just like when she used to sleep. If not for the blood that had trailed down those perfect lips hours ago before he had washed it away, no one would have looked upon her face and thought her death to be one of pain. She looked like an angel in her wakeless slumber- an angel that knew no sorrow, no pain, no suffering or loss. His angel.

But his gaze would fall from those inviting lips, tracing down her throat, over her bosom, and then they would stop. Halt at the one sight that spoke of her mortality, and the gruesome death that had taken her away from him. Though he had tried to wash away the blood, wash away any imperfections on his silent angel, the hole was still there, evidence of her passing. He closed his eyes, willing the memory of her death to well up even as his heart despaired at the very thought.

Fate had put them together by chance, only to cruelly rip them apart. The gods had given him a glimpse of what true happiness was, what it meant to love another, what it meant to _live_. Then, they snatched away his salvation in the most bitterly ironic way, leaving him aching for the light he had grown to need, had never know existed until she came.

Their time together had been too brief, their love too passionate, too deep. Had she lived, the flame of love that had engulfed them both would have burned their souls, welding them together with a bond nothing could destroy.

But she was gone, and his own death was fast approaching. Even now, the footsteps of his adversary echoed dimly in the cavern, the thuds becoming louder and louder with each step. Though he no longer considered his opponent a friend, neither had been particularly hostile to the other. They simply did not cross paths; when they did, words were few and brief. They would go about their separate ways, and nothing would change between the two.

Until she came.

The footsteps stopped, though he didn't bother looking up. He didn't need to. The other knew he was aware of him- he could almost hear the anger in the man's heart, and feel the withering glare he was receiving. He didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore.

Drawing himself up to his full height, he still didn't bother opening his eyes. Why bother? He knew what lay ahead of him. The death that he would embrace with open arms, willingly letting himself fall into the darkness once again, to search for his angel of the light.

"I've been waiting for you."

He could hear the whisper of a blade being drawn, the blade and its owner both lusting for his blood. His own sword hummed by his side, asking him to draw and fight once again. His fingers played on the hilt, toying with it as he drew it out in one slow, fluid motion. The blade's thirst for battle made him open his eyes, allowing him to capture the gaze of pure hatred from the other man. He let out a low chuckle, his feet shifting to battle stance. Goading the other to have him make the first move, allow the battle to begin. Though he had already accepted the fact that he would die in this fight, he would do his best. The soldier in him refused for any less than his best.

"Come, then. I'm waiting."

A roar of anger erupted from his opponent, and their final dual began.

  
  


*_End of the Introduction, how did everyone like it? Expect the next chapter within a week or two! SLS 11-03*_


	2. Worst staff meeting EVER

Two

  


God, how he hated staff meetings. 

  


When he'd arrived at his small office in the Shinra main building, he'd found a note tacked to his door, demanding his presence in the President's staff room almost half an hour before. Briefly, he toyed with the idea of burning the thing and then going about his daily routine; train, grab coffee, train the men, eat lunch, train the men some more, look over any documents that needed his approval, dinner, train, go home, sleep, repeat. However, as much as he'd have liked to do just that, he knew that it wasn't wise to ignore summons from your boss- especially when he had control of all your card's access codes and the locks on the gym in which you trained. Experience had taught him that if he went and did what was needed of him quickly and efficiently, the older man would finally let him return to his tasks. 

Sighing, he crumpled the paper in his fist, tossing it into a nearby trash can as he made his way to the top floor of the building. While his sanity and patience might have to suffer as he had to sit sedately in a chair for several hours doing nothing more stimulating than saying "yes, sir," or "no, sir", he knew that he could afford one lost session of practice. He was in perfect health and trimly fit; the only dulling of his senses there might be would be due to his long absence from the field. While being general and commander of the forces of a large company such as Shinra had its advantages, he sometimes wished he was back scouting an area, hunting down a criminal, or doing something more exciting.

_Anything_, he thought,_ to break up the monotony and alleviate the boredom_.

Soldiers in the halls saluted him smartly, straightening to their full heights. Ignoring them, he continued on his way, still somewhat miffed about the lost practice.

_The old fool had better have something worth my while to drag me from my sparring. Although, it would be just like him to summon me to an inane meeting just to piss me off. His brat would do it, at the very least. And maybe Tseng- although he'd never stoop to keeping me from my work for cheap kicks._

He entertained himself by wondering what the cursed thing could be about, to have him summoned immediately rather than informed several days ago. It couldn't have been an emergency, or someone would have come looking for him. There weren't many projects that had much to do with him- a few medical advances by the mad scientist, new weapons being developed, new plans for further advancing the training of mako SOLDIERs under his care. Important, yes, but not life threatening. Certainly nothing to demand his immediate attention.

Thus, he was slightly startled when he saw not only the president and his brat, but Tseng and his goons, the mad doctor, and several of the geological scientists involved with an archeological project down to the south as well. He quickly regained his composure, nodding to the president and Tseng, ignoring everyone else as he came to stand in his habitual spot by the door. The president, a middle-aged, balding fat man with too much money and too few scruples, gave him an irritated look.

"What took you, general? The memo was posted nearly forty-five minutes ago." Sephiroth, cool and collected as ever, smoothly replied.

"I only just received it sir, and came as soon as I read it. My delay in receiving the message was due to a problem with the coffee machine on my office's level- I had to go to the staff lounge on another floor to acquire a cup."

A chuckle came from the president, while Rufus scowled across the room at him. Sephiroth smiled slightly in return, knowing that while those not familiar with the president did not know he had picked the young general as a favorite over his heir and son, the situation was not lost on the boy, nor the doctor and bodyguards in the room. Tseng remained stoic, though Sephiroth could have sworn he noticed a brief eye roll at their childish antics. 

He quickly hid his smile, turning his attention back to the president. He was already getting bored, and the old fool hadn't even opened his mouth yet. He sincerely hoped this wouldn't take long, he wouldn't appreciate it if more of his time than necessary was taken up.

President Shinra nodded once again, and the room went still. He looked at them all for a moment, as if he was trying to determine if they truly were good enough to hear what he had to say. Trying to still his own nerves and force himself calm, Sephiroth's right hand played absently with the hilt of the sword hanging by his side, the blade almost whining to him for the practice they were missing. The President, not really so great a fool as fail to notice his general's growing boredom and twitchiness, began to speak.

"You have all heard of the 'Temple' Project by now- our original pet project being to attempt to set up a new satellite system base as another part of our space program in the Woodlands area to the south of Junon. And that, upon clearing the area to prepare to build such a facility, we fell across the ruins of an old temple, long since forgotten and largely overgrown. We moved the site to an town now called 'Rocket Town', but the excavation of the temple has been a top priority since its discovery and since the failed launch of the first rocket."

Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow, fingers stilling as his boredom was forgotten. The Temple of the Ancients? What had they found? Last time he'd checked, the reports only mentioned finding odd baubles and jewelry, a few pots shards, maybe some weapons. But nothing to warrant any real interest, other than from an archeological point of view. Certainly nothing that had to do with him. The president continued, smiling slightly in that he'd managed to catch the interest of the silver-haired boy, as well as some of the Turks in the room. Even Tseng looked mildly curious, if the slight widening of his eyes was any clue. 

Smugly, he brought out a bright red stone, perfectly round, slightly larger than a marble. When no one's expression seemed to change, his smile grew.

"Some of the more intriguing things found at the site were very similar to this; spheres of intense color, all shining dimly, of no apparent use other than an amusing bauble from time to time. 

"However, once of the scientists working on the dig made a startling discovery- the sphere contained raw energy, very similar to that of the mako used in our reactors, and given to the SOLDIERs. The scientist tried tapping into this power, but quickly discovered that different colored spheres had different properties; yellow had more lightning elemental energy, while the white had ice; red, fire; green, earth; blue, water; etc. We already knew, of course, that certain elements in mako enhance one's magical and physical defense and attacks, but with these baubles- if used properly- a person could wield far more power with little to no effort."

Sephiroth suddenly knew exactly why he'd been called- the potential of such a powerful-and yet so small - item could greatly increase the strength of his soldiers, cutting down the numbers needed on missions and various jobs cut by half. His own mako green eyes flared intensely at the thought of being able to wield some of that power himself. 

The president, having seen he'd finally gotten the interest of everyone present, nodded to Sephiroth, then to Dr. Hojo.

"Sephiroth, I believe that under the good doctor's careful administration, these jewels could benefit your mako soldiers tremendously. Although no experiment is to be made without my approval. I have something to give you after the meeting relating to this 'materia'; doctor, when we are through, I want you to prepare a brief checkup for him- monitor his signs before receiving the materia, then after." Both doctor and general nodded, although Sephiroth silently cursed being stuck under the doctor's supervision. 

The president, however, had not yet finished.

"As the deeper sanctums of the temple were uncovered, and more about the people who built it was learned, our people working on translating the texts discovered yet another oddity was awaiting us.

"The texts spoke of a 'Keeper of the Temple'- someone who would watch over the world and the powers of the earth, sleeping until a great evil was sensed. For a long time, we simply thought that this might be a reference to one of their gods- maybe a lesser god or goddess, or a hero of sorts. We wrote off the tale as something of pure fantasy- until we reached the last sanctum, that it."

He had all eyes on him now, and he took a moment to let the information sink in, the anticipation build, and anxious looks intensify. The silence stretched for several minutes, no one daring to ask what it was the president obviously wanted them to ask. Slightly disappointed, he finished his thought.

"The head of the team, Doctor Ross, was on site when the newest relic was discovered- and the entire team of scientists immediately contacted me upon her discovery." Nodding to one of the archeologists, the man got up, heading to a connecting door from the office- one that led to the president's private office. The man was gone for a few moments, in which Shinra took to further dramatize the suddenly tense and altogether interesting situation.

"They reread the tale, reread the symbols inscribed on the artifact, and finally came to one conclusion: the Keeper, as she's referred to, was in fact very real, and we had found her. Our newest pride and joy, I give you the Keeper of the Temple of the Ancients."

The doors swung wide, and a large hunk of rock came into view as it was pushed out into the room. The scientist moved the trolley to stop next to Shinra, pausing a moment to move so everyone could see the rock's face. Sephiroth felt a slight wave of disappointment- it looked like nothing more than a large boulder with silly little designs on its surface; that is, until it was turned around, and he got a glimpse of the Keeper herself. What he saw took his breath away. 

A girl stood in the center of the rock, arms folded modestly over her bare chest, hands folded as if in the act of prayer. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, coming down to her mid back, slight waves giving the ends a curl. She was completely nude, but that wasn't why the room was silent and staring.

She seemed to emit an aura of content and peace- though about her lay more of those odd balls of color, a pool of green water lit with an unnatural glow swishing slightly against her ankles. She was, Sephiroth noted with some awe, the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. Not gorgeous- she seemed far too young, far too innocent for the word to be associated with her. If awake, she would have a voice soft and tremulous, though full of emotion and thought. She would probably be the ideal woman for several men in the room, in fact, had she not been carved of stone.

Shinra smiled knowingly at the rest of the group. They continued to stare, even as he spoke again.

"This statue is a marvel in several ways. First, that she was able to survive all these years without a single scratch on her is enough of a wonder. But the fact that materia seems to be created from the very stuff she's standing in is also an interesting tidbit. We are going to investigate this phenomenon, and see if there is any way to mass produce the materia. As it is, we only have about fifty pieces.

"But as for her, we had no idea they had such artistic skill, and yet here is a statue that looks as if she'll open her eyes at any moment. This statue represents everything the Ancients believed in, their central myth of creation, destruction, and rebirth. It is a shame that she can't tell us any of that."

The female Turk, Elena, seemed to be the only one unaffected by the girl.

"Please, sir, what do you intend to do with it?" Sephiroth noted her use of 'it' rather than 'her', another reminder that the girl before them was unreal. A mere statue having the managed to stun them all- it was a good thing she wasn't real, or they'd all have been lost. The president, however, didn't seem to notice the difference.

"I plan to keep her in the office, as a memento of the dig." _And,_ thought the general, _ to get your jollies off of. _ He wondered what else the old man would do with such a statue, but decided he probably didn't even want to know, bringing his thoughts back to the present situation of the materia. This new development could be used to completely annihilate those irritating AVALANCHE members, and once again gain control over the slums. 

He shifted his gaze to the president, who had risen to stand beside his new prize. He watched as the man put a hand on her shoulder, turning to face the others.

"Their skill was truly remarkable. Even her skin, while stone, has a certain softness to it." Sephiroth, somewhat irked by the man's continual going on about the statue, smirked, slightly.

"Is our meeting done, sir, or are we to have an art lesson as well? I'd like to learn what we have on this 'materia' substance." The president snapped out of the trance-like state he'd fallen into, glaring at the boy. He nodded though, going back to his desk to rifle through papers and bring out what he'd put together for the general.

"These are your copies of the research findings, as well as the information on the weapon we've designed for you which utilizes these materia spheres. I expect you to come speak with me after you've become accustomed to your new weapon, and the materia energy. Let me know what you plan to do with it for the soldiers, and have a report written of any observations you have on hand. Make two copies, and give the other to Dr. Hojo. Understand?"

Sephiroth nodded, and Shinra motioned to the rest of the group that they were dismissed as well. Rufus got up sulkily, no doubt wondering why he hadn't gotten a weapon from his father, going over to stand in front of the statue as the rest of the meeting quietly got their things together, preparing to leave. 

Sephiroth quickly gathered the papers Shinra had plopped down on the table for him, already beginning to read them as he started for the door. He didn't get far, however, when Hojo called out.

"Sephiroth, stay a moment. You need your new weapon. Boy! What do you think you're doing? Get away from your father's statue! What gives you the right to touch it?" Rufus' hand fell from the girl's hair, and he scowled at the doctor before going over to retrieve one of the copies of the folders filled with the materia information. Shinra frowned as he saw his son take one of the folders, but said nothing, instead going into his office. Sephiroth hoped he was getting whatever sword they wanted to give him, as all he really wanted to do was leave. He'd miss the sword he'd been practicing with- few people fought with Buster swords, and it was a distinguishing blade he enjoyed wielding. Whatever they gave him, it had to be good, or he'd go right back to his old sword, materia compatible or not.

He wandered over to the statue himself, joining the small crowd around it, looking on with little interest. It was just a statue, for God's sake. He appreciated the mastery of the work, but it didn't help win wars, it didn't cure illness, it wouldn't help save lives, or create order in the masses. Therefore, it affected him in no way, and was not worth his time.

However, even as he stood there, studying the face of the girl above him, he couldn't help but wonder *how* they had made it. Shinra had been telling the truth; she really did look more asleep than hewn from stone. Even he, as far from being an art critic as one could possibly be, could tell that this far surpassed the mastery of any art of their time, aided by machines or otherwise. This girl could not have been made with the primitive tools they had found in the temple. There had to be something more to it than that. As he stood there looking at the figure before him, a thought struck him, and he turned to the doctor who had moved to stand beside him.

"Has anyone made sure that this truly *is* a statue?" Rufus, overhearing the comment, laughed.

"Are you saying that you think she's a real, living human? I hate to break it to you, General, but she was carved out of the rock she's standing in. There's no way she could have been alive." Sephiroth, however, was not to be discouraged.

"But what if she wasn't carved at all? What if she had just been standing about her business, and was turned to stone? She could be the hapless victim of one of the extinct Basilisks- the legends say they turned people to stone, and we have the bones to prove of their existence. And the scientists say she's got to be thousands of year old, placing her in a time when the Basilisks still wandered the earth. Couldn't she have once been human, but petrified?"

The general turned to confirm the idea with the doctor, who suddenly seemed very excited at the prospect. The scientists were equally as enthusiastic, talking amongst themselves, wondering why they hadn't thought of such a thing. Sephiroth silently wondered the same thing; if he, a general of war with no concept of archeology, had come up with an idea like petrification, why on earth hadn't the respected men who'd found the thing thought of it? It was ironic, and Sephiroth allowed a small smirk of triumph to flit across his lips before slipping back into his regularly unemotional face.

"I must say! I can't believe none of us thought of that. Well done! If we can get the president to approve-"

"What am I approving, and why are you all standing about? I specifically ordered only Sephiroth to stay, I do not recall telling the rest of you that you were allowed to stay." Still glowering at the others, the president handed a long- goodness, it was rather *very* long- box. Sephiroth took it, mentally sighing as he expected the long box to contain nothing but a staff with materia imbedded in it. He'd be using only his buster sword, then- there was no way the general of Shinra would be fighting with a stick. 

When he opened the box, however, he found a long black leather scabbard, an elegant hilt sticking out of the top. All the thoughts of the girl behind him vanished, the excited explanations of his revelation fading into the background as he stepped away to draw his new sword.

The blade was thin, but he could sense the strength of the sword as he held it in front of him, examining it closely. It was a relatively plain blade; the only things unusual about it were the slots in which the materia must go. He could forget his buster sword for this. The blade he held in his hands was without any doubt of the finest craftsmanship he had ever seen, and was likely to ever see again. He knew that he wouldn't have any trouble making himself accustomed to the blade- it would be when he was not practicing that he would have trouble containing his will to fight. And there was no way in Hell he was going to give it back to Shinra.

His thoughts were interrupted when a meaty hand clamped him on the shoulder, another patting him on the back. He had to control the 'kill instantly for touching me' reflex, as the hands belonged to his employer. It would have been a shame to behead his employer with his new sword without properly thanking the man for it.

"I heard you thought of the petrification idea! I'm very impressed, my boy- I didn't think you had a liking for science. Although I always knew you had a head on your shoulders." Sephiroth ignored the comment, all thoughts still on the masterpiece in his hands.

"The sword. Is it from the temple as well?" Shinra seemed a bit taken aback by this, though he nodded, arm still around the general's shoulder.

"I knew that there was only one man who could wield such a sword as that- and I knew that you could not refuse such a weapon. I expect you to do good things with it, my boy." Sephiroth nodded, sheathing the blade and holding the scabbard loosely in the crook of an arm. Shinra guided him back to the statue, his mind once again back on his new prize.

"I sent one of the men down to get one of the soft potions from the labs. He should be here any moment." Again, Sephiroth nodded, although at this point he couldn't care less. Already the sword was beginning to call him, begging him to feed its bloodlust and allow it to sing the death of others again. He had to take a deep breath to regain his composure, because if he let into the sword's calling, the president and his prissy son, along with the others in the room, would find themselves very suddenly and very thoroughly headless.

Elena stumbled back into the room, breathless and slightly red from her run down to the labs. In her arms were several bottles of the 'soft' potion, all in danger of falling out of her hands at any moment. Upon seeing this, Tseng silently went up to her, taking six of the bottles and going over to set them down on the table. Elena put the remaining two next to them, this time the red on her cheeks somewhat darker as she thanked her leader for his assistance. Tseng said nothing.

Shinra went over and picked up one of the bottles, returning to stand by his stone goddess once again. With an almost reverent gaze at her once again- and just *where* _was_ he looking?-, he pulled one of the chairs from the table over to her side. Standing up on his stool, he looked at the others one last time. All watched his movements, some darting glances down at the girl's face before looking back up at the president. Solemnly, he uncapped the bottle, and poured it on her head. Everyone in the room held their breath, and waited.

And waited. Shinra began to feel a little silly, standing up on the chair that was threatening to roll out from underneath him at any moment. There was no sound, as no one had started to breath again yet. But even as the seconds began to tick away, and the blue liquid was oozing down the girl's face, the room began to come back to life. 

Shinra got down from his chair as the scientists mumbled amongst themselves, whispering questions and hypotheses and ideas of why it hadn't worked. Rufus seemed a bit surprised, but seemed happy enough to send a triumphant sneer towards Sephiroth. The Turks glanced at one another, though they said nothing. Tseng remained silent, and Sephiroth didn't give a damn. He had his sword, what the Hell did he need with a statue that wasn't a petrified woman after all?

Shinra glowered at the young general, beginning to feel very foolish indeed. How dare he be made a fool of in front of his top scientists and his body guards! HE was Shinra, not some peon from under the plate! He was half tempted to take the sword back from the general, but the man was holding it rather protectively, and had that 'touch me and lose your head' look again. He didn't tempt fate twice; taking a few steps back towards the Turks, he began to berate Sephiroth.

"Do you have any ideas as to why that didn't work, boy?" Sephiroth, not really in the mood to have to deal with one of the president's lectures, and definitely in a 'touch me and lose your head' state of mind, shrugged, pulling off his gloves.

"I don't know, ask Hojo. I only guessed, and I was wrong. I'm not a scientist; ask one of them." Carefully, he wiped the ooze off of the eyes of the girl, clearing it of the mess that had begun to cake in the crevices.

Then grey faded to a pale pink, and the girl collapsed onto the unsuspecting general.

The room was silent for a moment, dumbfounded and utterly confused as to what on earth had just happened. One moment, the potion had no effect, the other the girl had come to life, sprawling herself onto the General. 

Sephiroth, for his part, was in an awkward position- that is to say, the girl who had fainted was. Her face leaning against his thigh, she was kneeling stark naked with her back to the rest of the room. Sephiroth's hands had moved to grab the girl as she fell, but all he had been able to catch were her shoulders after she'd fallen literally into his lap. He peered down at her without any idea of what to do, then looked back up at the assembled crowd. They had all taken several steps back, and were staring at the pair of them in bewilderment. 

He frowned when he saw he'd get no help from them, and his expression darkened when he saw the state of his coat. Its front was streaked with the potion where the girl had slid down, thus ruining it. He'd really liked this one too... 

Sighing, he undid the belt, earning a gasp from Elena, the only sound from the rest of the room. He peeled off the stained garment, and gently laid it over the girl. He put her arms through the sleeves quickly, bringing the coat around her and buckling it as well as he could around her. He tried to ignore the traits of her that had been modestly covered by her arms when in her stone sleep, instead focusing on her face to search for signs of consciousness. 

They came when she groaned slightly, grabbing onto his arm and using him as a support as she slowly tried to pull herself to a standing position. He helped her as best as he could, ignoring the slight tugs on his hair, and held her steady until she seemed able to stay up by herself. He didn't know why the fates were picking on him to play with today, but all he really wanted to do was go back to his room, go back to bed, and back to sleep. Maybe when he woke up he's still have the sword, but the coffee machine would be working, and he wouldn't have brought a nude statue to life by touching her, and his coat wouldn't be ruined by the slime trail running down the front. 

_The gods must be laughing their asses off right now, _he thought moodily as he continued to receive no help from any of the others in the room. He scowled down at the girl- well, no woman, he had seen enough evidence to convince him she was older than the fifteen year old he'd first thought she was- wondering how it was that he'd only seen her for the first time twenty minutes ago- as a _statue_, no less- and yet she still had managed to make his life very suddenly very complicated.

When she opened her eyes to gaze up at him, his scowl disappeared.

Her eyes were almost a mako green- an impossible color for any who had not been injected with the cells, and certainly rare amongst even those injected. And yet, the intense green orbs were staring up at him quizzically, her head cocked to the side as if in question. She searched his face even as he continued to openly stare down at hers, and once again there was silence in the room.

That is, until Rufus spoke again.

"So, does this mean that Sephiroth is the great evil they were talking about in the legend?" Sephiroth looked up to scowl at him, even as the girl gasped, as though suddenly aware that they were not alone. She stood staring at the assembly that was staring right back at her, although she had more of the appearance of a deer caught in bright lights, and they the look of a scientist about to dissect an interesting bug. Shinra openly leered, no doubt adding several more things to his 'things to do with her' list. 

She made a small sound of fear, backing up until she again bumped into Sephiroth. She whirled around, the terror on her face growing as she looked up at him again. She began to tremble, edging away from both the group and the general towards the table. She bumped into it, causing her to wince and risk a brief glimpse back. She saw the materia ball rolling towards the table's edge, and lunged for it, performing almost a roll across the table as she scooped up the fiery red little ball. She quickly got off the table to stand in a defensive pose by the windows, ball clutched tightly in one fist. She looked around as though for a way to escape, then did a double take as her eye caught sight of the view outside.

Apparently escape was temporarily forgotten, as she ran to the window to stare out at the scene below. She looked horrified at what she saw, and Sephiroth suddenly wondered what it must be like, to see metal and smoke when the last thing you remembered seeing was blue sky and stone. She was out of her home, out of place here, surrounded by strangers and dressed in a grimy trench coat. No wonder she looked scared out of her wits. He started to walk over to her, but Shinra moved first, waving him back. He nodded, though his eyes narrowed; if Shinra was going to attempt to molest the girl only minutes after she'd woken up, his morals would have sunk to an all time low, and Sephiroth would terminate his employment for Shinra Inc.

The president, however, simply put a hand on her shoulder. Sephiroth was pleasantly surprised to see the girl spin around and slug the man squarely in the jaw, with no look of remorse in her face as he staggered back. In fact, she gave the man a glare that impressed the general, who was a master of them himself.

The president fell back against the table, eyes wide in amazement. Sephiroth wondered if she was the first one with the guts to do what hundreds had always wanted to do, but never dared. It was rather refreshing, although he knew that the man would not stand for it, even from his newest 'pet'. The older man stood to shout at the young woman, but she suddenly stepped forward, putting a hand against his forehead. The president blinked rapidly as she bit her lip, closing her eyes as if in concentration. He stepped back suddenly, and she opened her eyes again.

"Little more, need speak understand." He froze as she once again put her hand to his head closing her eyes again. For several minutes, no one spoke yet again- the scientists looked somewhat baffled be what was going on, but no one made a move to stop her. The president hadn't seemed hard, and it was best to let the strange girl do as she would until they had a better handle on the situation, or until the president directed otherwise. All curious musings came to a sudden halt as she screeched in horror, slapping him away from her once again.

"Disgusting man! You not will touch!" the president flushed in anger, although she was already moving away from him as quickly as possible. As he grabbed for her, she shouted again, this time something unintelligible. The president moved back as though slapped, and instantly burst into flames.

In a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose. The girl tried to run past Sephiroth, who deftly caught her without looking, his eyes still fixed in horror at the burning figure of the man who had been his employer. The Turks were trying to extinguish the flame with fire hoses, but he continued to burn until there was nothing more than ash in the place he'd been standing only a few minutes ago. 

The new president of Shinra looked horrified, gaping at the scene like a fool, then frightfully at the girl who had just incinerated his father. Sense returned to him, even though he was still somewhat dazed by the sudden events that had just made him president.

"Sephiroth! Get that thing out of her hand, now! The whole place will go up, otherwise!!" Sephiroth nodded to his new employer, reaching down with the his free hand to grapple with the girl for the red bauble. She fought him to the extent of trying to bite him, though he continued to wrestle with her. He managed to get her locked against him with one arm, the other trying to pry her iron-like grip from the sphere. He would have succeeded, too, had not the doors imploded at the moment. 

It hit him fully in the back, making him release the girl as she continued to struggle away from him. She scrambled to her feet, still clutching the jewel, preparing to dash through the now wide open doorway. She fell back when a woman scantily clad ran into the room, fists ready. On one side, a large red dog growled menacingly, baring its teeth; on the other, another girl was wielding a large star shaped weapon, jumping up and down. The woman scanned the room with a glare.

"Darn it! Where's President Shinra? Red, didn't you say you heard him in here a few minutes ago? Where is he? This is way more people than I thought there'd be..." 

The Turks quickly drew their guns, forming a circle around Rufus. The scientists were still picking themselves up from the floor, all of the scratched and worse for the wear. Sephiroth had jumped to his feet almost immediately after the impact- not without aches of his own- picking up his sword to turn and face the intruders. Both sides seemed to pause, however, because of the dirty woman standing between both sides, dressed in only a long black dirty trench coat. Rufus motioned the Turks to put their weapons down, glaring at the two women and the dog-thing in the ruined doorway.

"Don't shoot, you idiots! You'll hit the girl!" He turned to the intruders, anger making his eyes simmer. "The next time you want in, AVALANCHE bitches, just knock. You are currently speaking to the new president of Shinra, so state your business. I don't appreciate you interrupting an important meeting." The woman frowned, though the younger girl stopped jumping up and down to point at the statue-turned-human girl standing in the middle of the room.

"Look Teef! Aren't those things like the balls we found in that one box with all the other stuff? You know, the ones that glowed in the dark? She's got one too!!" 'Teef' nodded, stepping up to the lost girl in the room, eyes still on the Turks.

"Yeah, it is, Yuffie. Look, _President_, tell your father that we're holding this girl hostage until he's willing to negotiate with us on our terms. We're not going to let him ruin this city any more than he already has!" She looked to 'Yuffie', who quickly scrambled up to put the blade of her weapon to their new prisoner's throat. The girl made no movement, though her eyes were wide with fear. Her frantic gaze took in the room as she was gently led backwards, straying to catch the general's own green stare. 

She blinked, then flickered her gaze to the spot where he'd caught her, then back to him again. His eyebrow raised slightly as he stood tensely awaiting orders from Rufus, though he allowed his gaze to slightly shift to the spot she'd been looking at. There, laying amidst the rubble, was a small white sphere- she must have been holding it in her hands, but dropped it when she'd been revived. He nodded slightly, then again froze, hand on sword's hilt, body ready to spring at any moment. She allowed herself to be led out of the room backwards, and disappeared from view. 

The room leapt into action, Rufus shouting that all lower sections of the building were to be sealed, the rebels stopped, the girl retrieved unharmed. He turned to face the general, who stood tense and awaiting orders.

"Get a move on, man! Get the girl back, and kill those bitches! But make sure she's unharmed! She's the only one who knows how to use these materia things!" Sephiroth dashed out of the room almost immediately after them, stooping only to pick up the white materia that lay in the rubble of the room. 

Racing down the halls, he found that the women and their dog had let the girl go, but that she was running beside them as quickly as she could, apparently by her own free will. His eyes narrowed at that thought, and he sped past the bodies of the guards who had failed to keep the prisoner and the rebels from escaping. Any whom he found alive would be personally flayed alive by him if they didn't help in their capture, he would see to that.

He skidded to take a sharp right turn, brows furrowing as he continued his chase. Why on earth would they go this way? It lead only to the outside of the building, fifty floors up from the ground. They had to be suicidal if they thought they'd be able to jump that- although, it was suicidal enough to break into the Shinra building in and of itself. They had no chance of escape, unless-

The roar of a helicopter taking off made him swear under his breath, doubling his speed. He came to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway when gunfire broke out, impeding any further attempt to follow. He waited until there was a pause, then raced out at a speed only one with mako could accomplish. Even with his increased speed, and ability to dodge the sporadic bullets however, he was not able to reach the helicopter before it got out of his reach. \

From the opening in the side of the body, the young girl 'Yuffie' waved, sticking out her tongue. The older woman, 'Teef', scowled back at him, a large gun held clumsily in her hands. And there, sitting calmly and gazing back at him, was that _girl_. He shot them all a look that could kill, suddenly even more pissed that they'd gotten away. He had failed to recapture their prisoner, Rufus' new 'prize'. 

Soldiers began to fall in beside him, taking aim at the helicopter before he barked out the order to cease fire. The girl was not to be harmed. One of the captains ran up to him, informing him that all of their helicopters had been sabotaged and were unfit for flight. His foul mood deepened, hatred simmering in his stomach.

Giving the escaping rebels one last look that made several of the soldiers step back, he turned and strode back into the building, his mood rivaling that of a chocobo in molt.

God, that was the worst staff meeting they'd had yet. 

*_That was rather long... longer than intended, but I think it turned out pretty well, ne? I know they're all out of character- is Rufus being too childish? And doesn't Hojo speak with a funky accent? Is Shinra obnoxious enough? Is Sephy acceptable? Was Aerith too volatile, emotionally speaking? Any comments and suggestions would be great!! Please let me know what you think!! _SirLadySketch@hotmail.com


	3. How many more meetings must we have?

_Sorry it was so late, guys! See bottom notes for details. Please enjoy the chapter, short as it is!_

  
  


Three

  
  


She stared at the woman working so busily across from her, not sure what the lady was in relation to her. Almost two hours ago, she'd been asleep, dreaming of the future and what it might be like. Now she was awake and in that future, and it was nothing like what she'd imagined it to be. She'd awoken to find herself surrounded by people who looked at her as though she was nothing more than a prized possession, and then minutes after that, she'd been kidnaped by completely different people- they didn't seem to think of her as a thing, just someone to keep an eye on, which, she decided, she could live with for now.

She had no idea what to think, although from what information she'd been able to absorb from the old man (before she had incinerated him), this place was a dark and dangerous world. She had no idea how she was to survive amidst people who were used to dealing with violence everyday, and no idea how they would be able to accept her into their midst. 

However, as she continued to watch the woman "Teef" go about the small room, she began to feel slightly more at ease. After pushing her into the loud machine, the woman had smiled at her and tried to comfort her- she didn't know what exactly the woman had said, because she had not completely absorbed all of their language with the two small spells she'd cast before- but she had sensed a feeling of reassurance and calm, and she trusted that feeling. The younger girl had run off after taking her materia orb, looking excited and elated to have it in her possession. She'd felt a slight pang of fear when the girl had taken it from her, but the older woman's smile had calmed her nerves, and convinced her to relinquish the item. If things went well, perhaps it would be returned at a later time, when she explained to these people what her mission was.

'Teef' finished making the small bed, tucking a stray bang behind an ear as she turned to look at her new 'guest'. The green-eyed girl stared back at her, and for an instant, Tifa felt as though the girl was silently questioning her as to what they planned to do with her. She had no idea herself, planning to take the matter up with Cloud when he'd returned from his own part of the mission. Their mission hadn't had anything to do with hostages, just infiltrating the place and looking for those new weapons, maybe trying to talk some sense into Shinra if they found him. They came up empty on both accounts, except for the girl. 

So what _would_ they do with her? Cloud hadn't said anything about taking prisoners, but he wasn't the type who would tell them to kill her off to clean up loose ends. Until then, she'd treat the girl like a guest, and they'd take it as it went. She offered the girl a smile, then noticed the state of the other's attire- or lack thereof, unless wearing only grungy trench coats was the latest fashion. Shaking her head, Tifa walked over to the girl.

"The bed is ready, but I think before you rest, you might want to get clean. You're, um, a little dirty, and I know that if I had stuff all down my front, I'd want a bath. Follow me, and I'll get you to where you can clean yourself up, ok?" The girl frowned for a moment, shaking her head and sighing, then gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I sorry, but not finish speak learning. You help me rest find?" Tifa looked down at the girl, not completely understanding what she meant. Her accent was odd, her soft voice making it even harder to understand. But she tried to repeat what the girl had said, seeing if she'd gotten the gist of it.

"You want me to help you learn the rest of common tongue? I'll do what I can, ah... I don't know your name! I'm sorry for being so rude, we were, ah, a little too caught up in the moment to deal with formalities. I'm Tifa Lockhart, and you are...?" The girl's face brightened, and she stood to speak.

"Aerith! You are Tifa; I, Aerith. Yes?" Tifa nodded, a smile of her own reappearing as she watched "Aerith's" obvious excitement of understanding. Though the girl must have been at least eighteen, Tifa noticed she had a somewhat childlike manner; she made a mental note to report such to Cloud whenever he decided to make his appearance. In the meantime, it was time to bond with the girl.

"Right then, Aerith. I'll do what I can to help you learn our tongue, but in the meantime, I need you to try to tell me how you got into Shinra like... that." She motioned to the outfit once again, although Aerith's face had sobered remarkably quickly.

"Shinra was dirty man. I fired him. You do not worry of him any longer, now you help me, yes?" Tifa wondered what one earth she meant by 'firing' him, but did not have time to ask, as Aerith had put a palm on her forehead. Tifa watched the girl in confusion; although Aerith was obviously concentrating on something, Tifa had no idea what it had to do with her head. She was about to ask when Aerith took a deep breath and stepped back, hand falling to her side as another smile came to her face.

"Thank you. I hadn't been able to finish the spell when I cast it on Shinra- I killed him before I completely learned your language, so please excuse me for any mis-spoken words on my part, and thank you for helping me complete my spell." Tifa stared at the young girl, mouth slightly open as the girl self-consciously blushed and looked down at her bare feet. Tifa tried speaking for several moments, then decided that this would be a good thing to make Cloud try to figure out, as punishment for returning so late when he'd promised to be as quick as he could. Trying to ignore the nagging feeling that this girl was going to be pulling lots of surprises that would probably make her develop heartburn in the near future, Tifa shook her head, going to the door.

"I'm going to have to ask you to give me the whole story- but later. You, I think, need a bath, and something clean to wear-" the girl's stomach suddenly made itself known, making Aerith blush even deeper. Tifa smiled, adding, "and some food in your stomach. Hopefully by then, Cloud will be back, and you can tell us all at once to save you from having to repeat it over and over. Sound ok to you?" Aerith nodded, relieved to be offered a chance to rid herself of the layers of dust and grime that had accumulated in the few hours she'd been awake. 

Tifa led her down a hall, dingy but neat, past several closed doors and a few open ones. The ones that she could see into allowed Aerith to catch a glimpse of the large red dog-thing she'd seen earlier, as well as spot several men sitting about. One looked gruff and unpleasant; he was complaining loudly about his "God-damned tea" being cold, using several adjectives that made her ears burn in embarrassment. The man who sat beside him, a large, dark skinned man with some sort of metal apparatus replacing one arm, sullenly drank from a large tankard. As she ran to catch up with Tifa, she got a quick look at something that was large, puffy and white- and was that a cat on it? She didn't go back to see, however, because Tifa stopped at a closed door, opening it and standing back to let her through. She smiled up at the older woman as she stepped into the small room, finding a bath and a privy in the snug space. Tifa nodded, pointing to the tub and a rack laden with towels.

"Tub's there, towels over there. When you've drawn your bath, pull the screen there, and leave... that on the floor where I can get it. I'll put the clothes I find for you here on this peg, ok? I'll be back in a bit." Aerith turned and gave her a slight bow.

"Thank you, Miss Lockhart, I appreciate everything you've done for me." Tifa looked startled for a moment, then laughed, shaking her head as she began to close the door.

"Don't thank me, I'm doing what any civil person would do. And don't bother with the Miss Lockhart bit, call me Tifa. Miss Lockhart makes me sound like I'm sixty!" Aerith nodded, and said another soft thank you to the woman as she left. Ten minutes later ( it had taken Tifa returning with her clothes and teaching her how to use the taps before she could draw her bath), Aerith stripped from the ruined coat and sank gratefully into the steaming water. She began to scrub away the filth that coated her skin, relishing the feeling of being clean. 

As she soaked in the hot bath, she wondered how she would explain her situation to these people. How she would even explain the simple tongue comprehension spell; it was so ingrained into her own culture, she thought nothing of it. It must seem bizarre to those not used to her people's ways. It would be difficult, yes, but not impossible. One way or another, she would make them understand what she had to say. And maybe, after she'd spoken with them, they'd help her in her own quest.

She stayed in the bath until she was afraid she might shrivel up into a raisin, and got out feeling much more human than she had upon entering the bath. It was not until she'd dried off and had finished dressing into the pink dress left for her by Tifa that she looked down at the black pool of fabric on the ground, and suddenly remembered the man who had given it to her.

Her hand paused from where it had fallen to turn the knob, her eyes locked on the material even though her mind was back in that brightly lit room. She hadn't really looked at him closely, caught up in the moment as she had been, but what she remembered of him made her blush. The feel of her cheek against his bare chest; his fingers gently slipping the cloth over her shoulders; his arm holding her in a vice like grip as she struggled like it was nothing at all; his brilliant green eyes locking onto hers; his quick understanding of her eyes flicking towards her materia; his agile leap as he bent to grab it. His lightning speed as he dodged the bullets launched by her kidnappers, and the anger that made his body rigidly tense and his eyes a smouldering green. 

She shivered at the memory, hoping she'd never again be the object of his anger even as she bent to pick up the coat gently. A soft scent of spice and sweat flitted through her senses for a moment, although the scent of the lavender soap she'd used quickly overpowered the smell. Shaking her head to try to rid herself of the cold feeling she'd developed, she left the small room to see Tifa waiting for her. The woman looked surprised to see her carrying the cloth, but did nothing more than raise an eyebrow in question. Aerith smiled- slightly sheepish of her actions- holding the cloth to her chest.

"I'd like to clean it as best as I can- I don't think the owner would be very happy if I returned it dirty, or if I threw it away." Tifa frowned for a moment, knowing full well whose coat Aerith held in her hands. The younger girl seemed so set on it though, she could only nod, and hope that the girl would give up on it after she'd heard AVALANCHE's view of the general.

"Ok, if that's what you want, will do. In the meantime, let's get you some food and something to drink. How's that sound?" Aerith smiled agreeably, and Tifa led her back to the small room with the bed, leaving her with a steaming tray of food and a tall drink. Telling the girl to eat what she would and then get some rest, Tifa closed and locked the door, heading out to talk to the others.

  
  


"It is imperative that we reclaim the girl. My father was a fool to have assumed she was harmless, and he paid for it with his life. I suppose it all works out in the end, however; we all saw a demonstration of how powerful these materia orbs are, and how, when properly used, they can effectively destroy a target with a single blow. I also hope that her little show made it clear how important it is to get her out of AVALANCHE's hands. Since they were able to get their hands on two of our crates of these things, we must get both the girl and the boxes back before she shows the rebels how to unlock the power sealed within the crystals."

Rufus Shinra looked up at the group, the whole party grim and silent. The Turks nodded solemnly as he spoke, and Sephiroth waited patiently for instructions. For all that he disliked Rufus, he would be the first to admit that the boy was not only much more charismatic than his father had been, he was also smarter- he would listen to someone's suggestion, and if he thought it was an action worth taking, he would order it done. Rufus put aside petty quarrels, and for that, Sephiroth respected him. They still hated each other, but they knew that only by working together would anything get accomplished. Sephiroth waited for what Rufus to tell him what to do, hoping he'd dismiss them soon so that they could go about their tasks. Sure enough, the president turned to him, giving him a steady look.

"I don't want to waste you on recovering the boxes- you won't be able to haul two crates of their size without any help, so forget them. Tseng and the others can go after them, but I want you to go after the girl. I know that I can give you that mission and you won't fuck it up like some of the lackeys I could send instead. Don't disappoint me." Turning back to the papers on the table, he pointed to three spots on the map.

"These are three of the areas believed to be hideouts for the rebels- they won't risk keeping anything or anyone in the slums here too long, because I've got soldiers combing through the city. Tseng, you and your men should take this route here- it's the most likely route they'll take to smuggle the boxes to Junon, where there have been reports of suspicious activity from the underground connections. If you don't find them there, go to the Gold Saucer, see if they've tried anything there." He looked to Sephiroth, pointing to the South West.

"Head to Junon too, but take a ship Costa Del Sol - if they're going to try to smuggle the girl as far as they can from us, they'll probably be heading there, since it's an easy place to get lost. Plus, if they think that she could get them more materia from the temple, they'll probably try to work their way down south that way since it's farther from Midgar. I'll send some of your units down to Gongaga to guard that area- Tseng, you're responsible for this continent's southern border." He sighed, sitting back in his chair with a sarcastic smirk on his face as he ran a hand through his hair irritably. 

"Hell, who am I kidding? I've no idea where they'll try to go. I just want the girl and the cases complete with their cargo back as soon as possible. Before you leave, I want all of you to spread out, and give the city a once over- just in case the men missed something. You of all people are best at finding dirt that's been swept under the rug and into corners everyone forgets to check. If you get leads that suggest locations other than where I've suggested you look as possible targets, send me word of where you're going, but don't wait for my response to move. Get your targets as quickly as possible and in any way you must. I want this done before the fools can get the upper hand. Worry about time first and cost second. Send me reports when you can, but other than that, get what you need and leave now. It's possible they're still in the city, and it would save us a lot of trouble if we could stop them before they started. Questions? No? Good. Now leave."

The meeting adjourned, Tseng turned to his people to begin telling them places to check, and what route they would take while fanning out in the city. Sephiroth simply nodded to Rufus before walking out of the door, already knowing where he would check. Or rather, with whom he would speak. Mentally nodding, he briefly stopped to pick up some gil he kept locked in his desk drawer, as well as grab an extra coat from his closet. He didn't want to wander around the plate half-naked, even clothed he would stick out enough. As for the gil, well, even under the plate, drinks could get expensive. 

  
  


Waking to a soft knocking on the door to the room she'd been sleeping in, Aerith sta up languidly, rubbing her eyes to clear them. The door was opening, and she wondered if it was Tifa come to collect her. If their leader Cloud was back, then he must want to speak with her. She stood and stretched, although she paused when she found it was not Tifa who stood there, but a little girl with the red dog. The young girl smiled brightly, and Aerith could not help but return the smile, confused as she was. The young child bounded into the room, clambering on the bed so she could jump on it as she greeted Aerith.

"Hiya! Who are you, pretty lady? I'm Marlene!! Are you staying with Aunt Tifa for a while? Aunt Tifa is really nice! She makes good cookies and sometimes she lets me help her when she's washing dishes and stuff, or when she's making other things, or if she has stuff to do, or-"

"Marlene." The low, almost growling voice, made Aerith jump in fright, looking behind her wildly. However, she saw no one besides the big red dog... thing. Seeing her confusion, the creature's lip curled in what must have been a smile, although it showed too many teeth for her to be comfortable. She edged towards the bed, putting herself between the child and the animal. Before she finished sliding her first foot, however, he spoke again, this time more gently.

"Marlene, come down from there, you know you're not allowed to jump on the bed." Obediently, the little girl stopped her wild hopping and jumped down to the floor to run over to the animal. Aerith watched in amazement as he nuzzled the girl slightly before turning to look back up at her.

"Your name is Aerith, correct?" Dumbly, she nodded. He continued, still speaking civilly, although the low growl in his voice never left. Aerith briefly wondered if it was just how he spoke, but decided it would be best to do what he said, regardless of this, just in case.

"My name is Nanaki, however, you may call me Red, if you wish. I am here to escort you to the meeting. If you will follow me..." With this, he turned and padded out the door, silent as any cat, the little girl Marlene close at his heels. Aerith straightened her dress before following, closing the door behind her.

"I'm please to meet you, Red. Please, lead the way." They walked down the small hallway again, the young girl blithely chattering away, 'Red' silent although Aerith knew he was paying attention to everything going on. She doubted anything would get past those keen eyes of his, and was slightly cheered by the fact that she had no intention of running away, and thus chancing his anger. He seemed nice, but until she knew more about him, caution seemed the best course of action.

They walked into the room where she had spotted the motley group earlier, but found it vacant and still. She looked questioningly down at her guide, who nudged the young girl to a corner of the room. To her surprise, the child flipped the switch on the wall, and the floor began to sink into the floor. Gasping in shock, Aerith clung to the table that was descending with them, and closed her eyes tightly. She didn't care for this experience at all- she'd never felt anything like it, and hoped she never would have to again. When the floor came to a gratifying halt, she peeked out at her new surroundings, and then opened her eyes completely.

The room was sparsely furnished with only a table and about ten chairs around it. A large map was on one wall, and there were a few other papers scattered about both on wall and table, but the rest of the space was remarkably bare. It was also somewhat cramped, as there were several people already sitting around the table, obviously waiting for the three of them to arrive. She recognized Tifa and the other girl, Yuffie, almost at once, and she got a better look at the two gruff men she'd seen before. However, there was also a young man with spiked blonde hair sitting at the head of the table, and Aerith decided he must be Cloud. He didn't seem intimidating or even very commanding, but he was obviously in charge, because everyone seemed to be waiting for him to make a move. 

Red and Marlene left her, going over to sit at the table- Red by Tifa's side, and Marlene on the large man's lap. She bit her lip, nervous, and tried to still her nerves as she stood there watching them. She was acutely aware of all of their gazes upon her, but the one she felt the most was _his_. It wasn't intrusive or lewd, but he was definitely trying to determine her abilities and try to figure out how to proceed by studying her very closely. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks, but she stared right back at the group-specifically at him. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and just when she thought she might have to tear her eyes away from the blazing blue eyes, they softened. He smiled, and motioned her to the seat beside him. Tentatively, she walked over and sat beside him, although her instincts told her that it would be alright. As if to confirm these feelings, he spoke in a friendly tone, putting her at ease.

"Miss Aerith, correct? I am Cloud Strife, leader of the AVALANCHE group. Please excuse me for having your sleep disturbed, I'm just afraid that time is not on our side, and things are slightly... complicated. Tifa has already told us about how you came to be with us, but I could you please explain to us how you came to be in Shinra's office in such... Odd attire?" She flushed again at the memory, but paused, wondering how it might be best to start. All thoughts of explaining herself faded, however, when she caught sight of a clutter of objects in the center of the table.

"Those jewels! How did you come by them? I thought they were safe!" Cloud looked at her oddly, then glanced to the materia the sat innocently enough less than a foot away from him. He turned his gaze back on her.

"You recognize these gems?" She nodded enthusiastically, reaching out to pick up a red sphere. She held it in her fingers, and smiled when she recognized the signature spell that identified the summon creature within.

"I grew up using these to protect my home. This one is Choco/mog, one of my childhood favorites." Her smile grew as she felt the warmth within the small gem seem to swirl, recognition from within perhaps, remembering the times they had fought together. She looked up with a slight laugh.

"I always seemed to summon the fat chocobo, although occasionally I did get the chocobo and mog team. It is a wonder they have survived so long..." Seeing their blank expressions, she sighed, and replaced the ball carefully with the others. She'd never liked talking in front of groups, but she couldn't just succinctly answer their questions and expect them to leave it at that. If she was to get them to trust her, and maybe even help her fulfil her duty as guardian and keeper of the temple, they would have to know everything about where she'd come from, and what she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she looked out at them all again, and began her story.

  
  
  


_*I know, I leave it as a cliffhanger... but it's 4 am, and I'm tired... . Plus, this is the best stopping point I've got until the end of next chapter- which I think you will all enjoy. Please excuse the lack of Sephiroth, there will be more of him next chapter, promise! It will be fun to write, I think, so I should have it done fairly soon. However, I'm writing a couple of other stories too, so it might not be as quick as I'd like... . Flu, Finals and Holidays kept this chapter from coming out on schedule, but hopefully my three writing classes won't bog me down too much. If they do, I might have to alternate story updates..._

_Also, anyone interested in being my beta reader? I'm afraid of making awful mistakes that will completely ruin the story... (I reread this chapter, only to find out I had Rufus calling the AVALANCHE group SOLDIER... .) Anyone with time to kill?_

_And to the three of you who've reviewed my story... (I don't usually do a person by person review response, but I love you guys for reviewing, so feel special ^_^) :_

  


_ Chocobo Goddess- I like Aerith and Sephiroth stories too!! I went to your site, and spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time there. I'm getting fanart urges, so maybe I'll send some your way soon ^_^ Glad you like Aerith's personality- I figure, yeah, she's sweet, but to last that long on the road (getting impaled doesn't count, that wasn't her fault) you have to be stubborn. And I like my heroines to have somewhat of a backbone, although Aerith will not be overly obnoxious. I'm not looking for OOCness, so let me know if I overdo it at any point!!_

  


_ Ledophole- .....Does a month and 18 days count as quickly? No? Crap. I'll try to write faster and longer (8 pages is dinky, especially for me, but I had to chop this chapter in half so people wouldn't fall asleep halfway through... and it's 4:12 now. Bedtime!!) Again, I'm glad you like Aerith, but keep me in line if I get out of hand- I don't mind flames, I'm review deprived!! *makes pitifully review-hungry-authoress face*_

  


_ Aurea- Glad you're liking it so far!! Aerith can now speak common (yay for her!), and it's not so much that she disliked Shinra... well, incinerating the old lech doesn't count, she was caught up in the moment and acted rashly, going on gut instinct to run from the scary people who were ... being scary. And here's Cloud! There'll be more of him next chapter, and then we'll see how it goes from there ^_- As for the prologue people... hehe, you'll just have to wait and see!! (You'll find out.... Oh, last chapter or so. However far away THAT is)_

_Hope you liked this new chapter! (And don't worry about prattling- I do it too, see? I LIKE long reviews....)_

  


_I'm going to bed now, honest. 4:30, and I'm getting up in a few hours . Remind me not to do this when I'm in school!!_


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